Car roof



1933, c. D. BQNSALL 1,921,804

CAR ROOF Filed July 2, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 QAMWXZ A,

Patented Aug. 8, 1933 1 I A I UNlTED STATES-PATENT; F C

to P. H. Murphy Company, New Kensington,

Pa., a Corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 2, 1931. Serial 6. 548,304

3 Claims. (o1.10s 5.4)

This invention relates to metal car roofs of the of a flat-topped hollow rib A, and the other half type wherein the roof sheets span from side plate of the sheet is in the form of a flat-bottomed to side plate and are so shaped and secured channelB. Near the eaves of the car, the height together that they form a series of ribs alternatof the rib A decreases until it merges into the 5 ing with channels, and the roof covering as a plane of the bottom of the channel Bat the side whole functions mechanically after the manner plates 6 of the car, over which they are turned of a beam. down and secured thereto. The roof sheets are The principal object of the present invention is so arranged on thecar that the depending side to strengthen and stifien the seam construction marginal flange 2 of the rib A of one sheet overand thus increase the load-carrying capacity and laps the upstanding'side marginal flange 4 of 65 rigidity of the roof. Another object is to prevent the channel B of an adjacent sheet, thereby formany water that may enter the seams from reaching a roof wherein the ribs A extend crosswise of ing the interior of the car. Another object is to the car alternately with the channels B.

.-, utilize the space within the roof ribs to accom- The seams formed by the overlapped side mar modate the seam reinforcing members; Anginal flanges 2 and 4 of adjacent roof sheets 70 other object is to provide strut members between are stifiened and strengthened by a reinforcing adjacent seam stiffening members that are adaptmember 7 of substantially inverted T-shaped ed to strengthen the roof and constitute loadcross-section. Each of these inverted T -shaped lifting beams. Another object is to utilize the seam reinforcing members extends from side 29 space within the roof ribs to accommodate plate 6 to side p e 6, and is rigidly Secured-l5 the combined struts and load-lifting beams. thereto with its upstanding stem 8 located within Other objects are simplicity and cheapness of a hollow roof rib A and rigidly secured by rivets construction, fewness of parts and compactness of 9 flatwise to the side wall thereof formed by design. the overlapped flanges 2 and 4 of adjacent roof so The invention consists in the parts and in the sheets. A metal strip 20 extends lengthwise of arrangements and combinations of parts hereeach seam betweenthe outside heads of the rivets inafter described and claimed. 9 and the depending seam flange 2 of each roof In the accompanying drawings, which form sheet and serves to prevent the sheet from buckpart of this specification and wherein like symling between rivets and the rivet heads from 85 bois refer to like parts wherever they occur. pulling through the sheet. The seam reinforc- Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a car roof ing members 7 are arranged with their bottoms embodying my invetnion. substantially flush with the underside of the lower Fig. 2 is a; vertical transverse section through levelof the roof and with one of its base'flanges one-half of the roof on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. 10 extending beneath the bottom 3 of an adjacent 90 Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through channel which is ofiset upwardly, as at 11, to

the roof at the ridge on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1. accommodate said flange. The base flanges v10 Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section simiof the seam reinforcing member 7 have their lar to Fig. 3. marginal portions offset upwardly to provide 40 Fig. 5 is'a section on the line 55 in Fig. 3. longitudinal waterways 12 for carrying off any 95 Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinalsection taken water that may leak through the seams. 7 along the ridge line of a roof of modified conj The roof is'fu'rther' stiffened and strengthened struction; and by means of a member 13 located wholly within Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are fragmentary vertical sec each roof rib A. Said member is disposed longitions showing modified forms of seam stiffening tudinally of the roof preferably at the ridge members. with one end resting on and'rigidly secured to In the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, I the upwardly offset margin of the adjacent base inclusive, the roof is made up of a series of simiflange 10 of the seam reinforcing member '7 and lar roof sheets ofiset vertically at or adjacent to .with the other end secured by rivets 14 to the i the medial line so as to form an upper panel 1 web portion 5 of the sheet. The securing rivets 5 with a depending flange 2 along its side margin '14 for the last mentioned end of the member, and a lower panel 3 with an upstanding flange 4 13 are prevented from pulling through the web along its side margin, the two panels being con- 5 by means of. a Z-shaped plate 15 arranged nected together substantially midway of the side with its web between the outer heads of the rivets margins of the sheet by an upstanding 'web 5, 14 and the web 5 of the sheet and with its flanges 11 Thus, one-half of each roof sheet is in the form overlapping the adjacent margins of the rib A and channel B, respectively. The members 13, which serve asstruts to stiffen the roof, are made of such shape and are otherwise adapted to serve as load lifting beams to which lifting tackle or other devices may be secured. Preferably, such members are made in the form of an inverted channel with lateral flanges 16 adapted to be engaged by slid-able tongs or similar devices. flanges 16 of the member 13 are preferably inclined upwardly to form waterways 17 for delive ing to the waterway 12 any water that may leak around the rivets 14. 1

By the arrangement described, the reinforcing member! for each seam serves to stiffen and strengthen the whole roof and is located entirely between the upper and lower levels ofjthe roof thereby obtaining a maximum headroom inside of the car. The roof is further strengthened by the strut members 13, which also functionasload-lifting beams and are also located between the upper and lower levels of the-roof with clear spaces between said members and the undersides of the roof ribs so as to permit the rope or chain of lifting tackle to be passed over said. members. In the event that any of the rivets 9 work loose or are improperly driven, any water that leaks around. said rivets or between the seam flanges 2 and 4 will be deposited in the waterways 12 in the flanges 11 of the seam reinforcing members 7 and discharged over the side of the car. Likewise, any water that leaks around the rivets 14, which secure the combined struts and load-lifting beams, 13. to the webs 5 of the roof sheets, will be conveyed by the waterways 17 at the sides of. said beams to the waterways 12 in the seam reinforcing member 7 and thence outside of the car.

In the modified roof construction shown in Fig. 6, the roof sheets are made in the form of channels. and are arranged alternately in two series, the sheets of one. series. being arranged with the channel opening. downwardly toform ribs A. and the sheets of the other series being arranged with thechannel. openings upwardly to form channelsB. The depending. side flanges 2a of the ribs A overlap and are rivetedv to the upstanding flanges 4a of the channels Bf. Seam stiffening members similar to the inverted T- shaped seam stiffening members 7. are located within the hollow roof ribs A with. their stems securedto the lapped. seam. flanges 2a and4a by means of the securing rivets therefor. The seam stifieni'ng members are connected at the ridge by members 13a that are located. within the hollow ribs A with their ends. resting on. and riveted to the opposing base flanges of adjacent seam reinforcing members. The members 1311 serve asv combined struts. and load-litfing beams and have the same cross-sectionalshape asthe member 13.

Fig. '7' shows a seam Stifiening member 7a in The i the form of an inverted channel with outstanding base flanges, the overlapped seam flanges of the roof sheets being secured to one side wall of said channel and the combined strut and loadlifting beam having its end supported on and riveted to the base flange of said seam stiffening member- Fig. 8. shows a seamstiifening member 7b of substantially L-shaped cross-section, with the lapped seam flanges secured to its vertical flange and'with one end of the combined strut and loadlifting beam secured to the other flange.

Fig. 9 shows a seam stiffening member '70 of Z.-shaped cross-section with the lapped seam flanges secured tothe vertical web portion of said member with the sheets at the two levels supported on the upper and lower flanges, respe tively, ofvthe seam. stiflening member. The combined strut and load-lifting beam is supported within the roof rib by means of an angle bracket 18, oneflange of. which is secured to the web of the Z-shaped seamv reinforcing member 70 by the rivets that secure the lapped sheet flanges thereto. One end of the combined strut and. loadlifting beam rests on and is riveted. to the other flange of the angle bracket 18.

What I claim is:

1. A car roof comprising roof sheets adapted, arranged and rigidly joined together at their edges to form alternating. ribs and channels extending transversely of the roof, a reinforcing member secured to one side wall of a rib, and a strut member extending. from said reinforcing member to the other side wall ofsaid riband.

secured to said wall by horizontal rivets, said reinforcing member and said strut. member having. longitudinal waterways formed therein, the waterways of said strut beinglocated below said rivetsand communicating with the waterways of said reinforcing member;

2.. A car roof comprising. roof sheets adapted,

arranged and riveted together at their edges to form alternating ribs and, channels, rein-forcing members secured to one side wall of saidribs by the rivets, that secure the'sheets together at. their edges, strut members located within said ribs with one end riveted tatheother. side wallthereof. and; with the other endsecured to the reinforcing. member therein, and metal strips located beneath. the outer heads ofthe securing rivets for said seam. reinforcing members andsaid sheets.

3.v A car roof. comprising roof sheets adapted, arranged. and rigidly riveted together at their edges to form alternating, ribs and channels; reinforcing, members. secured toone side wall of saidribs by. thev riyetsthat secure. the sheets together at their edges, and metal strips-located beneath the outer heads oi the securing rivets: for said. seam reinforcing members and said. sheets.

CHARLES DAVID BONSA-LL; 

